1. RE-ENGAGING THE CAMPUS IN DISCUSSING, DELIVERING, AND ASSESSING LEARNING OUTCOMES C. “Griff” Griffin, Director of General Education Wendy Wenner, Dean, College of Interdisciplinary Studies AAC&U – Savannah - 2007

2. OUTLINE Background 5 Steps (A-E) –Process –Outcomes –Challenges Conclusions A B C D E Right Goals ? Under- stand our goals? Think we’re achievin g our goals? Are we achievin g our goals? Can we teach better? Think we’re achievin g our goals?

3. BACKGROUND Grand Valley State Univ. – Allendale, MI –Quickly growing. large university –Liberal education mission Process and Outcomes (4 years) –AAC&U Greater Expectations workshops –Re-organization of GVSU –Assessment of learning outcomes –Re-invigoration of General Education –LEAP signatory

4. A. DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT GOALS? Process General Education faculty and Student Affairs staff Adopt LEAP goals as the benchmark Right Goals ?

5. BasicWriting Acr.GE LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes SkillsCurriculumFoundationCultureThemes Human Cultures Y Physical and Natural World Y Inquiry and Analysis? ?? ? Critical and Creative Thinking YYY Oral Communication SSY Written CommunicationYYSSY Quantitative LiteracyY Y Information Literacy YYY Teamwork and Problem Solving Civic Knowledge and Engagement - Local and Global Intercultural Knowledge and Competence YS Ethical Reasoning and Action ??S Lifelong Learning ??? Integrative Learning Y Right Goals ?

6. Challenges Definitions of the LEAP outcomes If they’re not a goal, will we teach it or assess it? Structural questions – do we do them everywhere or in selected categories Upcoming campus-wide forums to discuss…… Right Goals ?

8. B. DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND OUR GOALS? 1.All Faculty Process and Outcomes All faculty  General Education Handbook General Education Video New faculty orientation Challenges Not getting or reading the Handbook Not all faculty received the orientation they do now Adjuncts don’t receive the Handbook or see the video Under- stand our goals?

9. 2.Faculty Teaching in General Education Process and Outcomes –  Workshops –  Syllabus attachment –First day of class –Reinforce throughout the term Challenges –Faculty – getting training –We stopped telling Units to train faculty –Attachment comes too late Under- stand our goals?

10. 3. Students Process and Outcomes  GE Handbook - Orientation  Video (parents see it too) - Orientation  Syllabus attachment First day of class Reinforce throughout the term Challenges Misses transfer students Students don’t get this if faculty don’t cover it Don’t read the philosophy behind it Under- stand our goals?

11. C. DOES EVERYONE THINK WE ARE ACHIEVING OUR GOALS? 1.Nationally-Normed Indirect Measures Process (biennial tests) National Survey of Student Engagement - NSSE Faculty Survey of Student Engagement - FSSE Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) – Freshman College Student Survey (CSS) – Senior Outcomes Doing “fine” compared to peers, freshmen to senior, freshmen to freshmen Think we’re achievin g our goals?

12. Challenges Cost Getting students to participate Matching up the results with our goals Not all the goals are measured Faculty haven’t established the benchmark for success Who does the follow-up? Think we’re achievin g our goals?

13. 2. GVSU Developed Indirect Measures Process  GE Goals audit for students and faculty Think we’re achievin g our goals?

14.  Outcomes Think we’re achievin g our goals?

16. Challenges Do we disaggregate the data? Where’s the bar for success? Bias – under or over report? Do they understand the terms? Does class size affect results? Did faculty know they had to teach all of the goals? Think we’re achievin g our goals?

17. D. ARE WE ACHIEVING OUR GOALS? 1.Assessment Using Nationally- normed Tests (Direct Measures) Process Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (SAILS) Departmental sssessments (GRE, etc.) Outcomes Doing “fine” compared to peers, freshmen to senior, freshmen to freshmen Are we achievin g our goals?

18. Challenges Cost National tests don’t include all the goals Getting students to participate – especially seniors Getting Units’ results Are we achievin g our goals?

19. 2. Assessment Using Course-Embedded (Direct) Measures Process  Develop a process flowchart  Develop Course Assessment Plan form  Develop Sampling Plan (FAQ)  Identify how to house the data (Chalk and Wire)  Determine performance levels – 4=A, 3=B, 2=C, 1=D /F  Revise subcategory goals with faculty  Train faculty to write a Course Assessment Plan (GEGE – Greater Expectations for General Education) Are we achievin g our goals?

20. Outcomes Replicating this process 5 workshops – 70% of the faculty trained Course Assessment Plans – 50% done Data collection is starting……. Analyzing the results…… Course changes………. Are we achievin g our goals?

21. Challenges Communication –Getting faculty educated –Getting it once they’ve done it –Faculty on sabbatical, new faculty, adjunct, course is intermittently offered Time consuming Course issues –Large classes –Assessing all the goals (double-dips) –Will the results be representative? Not making it “ faculty” evaluation Cost – faculty, secretary, database Are we achievin g our goals?

22. E. CAN WE DO A BETTER JOB OF TEACHING TO ENSURE STUDENTS ARE ACHIEVING OUR GOALS? Process and Outcomes Moving from teaching-centered to learning centered –Faculty-Teaching Learning Center –Connecting Student Affairs with Academic Affairs –Closing the loop Can we teach better? Course Design Teaching Assessing Learning

23. CONCLUSIONS You can’t plan it all – go with the flow Go slow Be in it for the long run Communicate more and earlier Preliminary results – useful Big test is yet to come…

24. For more information: Griff - griffinc@gvsu.edugriffinc@gvsu.edu Wendy - wennerw@gvsu.edu